


Half of a Pai̶r(is)

by TheAverageDorkYoudExpect



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Coming Out, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Cute, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Maybe not what you’d expect??, Secrets, trans!jeremy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 16:40:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14312871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAverageDorkYoudExpect/pseuds/TheAverageDorkYoudExpect
Summary: Jeremy has a monumental secret- a secret that he isn’t even quite sure of and one that has the potential to wreck the budding relationship with his best friend.





	Half of a Pai̶r(is)

“Hey, Jer. You here?” Michael called into his boyfriend’s house.

“Yeah, upstairs. Just a sec.”

He snuck up the stairs, cracking open the door silently. Creeping up behind Jeremy, he swept his boyfriend off his feet, feeling the excess fabric of his skirt swish around them.

“Michael!” Jeremy complained, swatting at his back until he put him back down.

“Micha…” The shorter boy whined, holding out his fingers, smudged in lavender. “Now I have to repaint my nails.”

The Filipino wrapped his arms around Jeremy’s waist from behind. “Yeah, but this time you get a lot more cuddles while you do.”

Jeremy turned his head to kiss Michael’s cheek. “I guess.”

—

“Jer.” Brooke said, pulling him to the side of the hallway. “You have to tell Michael.”

He shrugged her off. “No I don’t. And honestly, I don’t think this is any of your business.”

“It is, because I care about you.”

“I’ll tell him when I know for sure. As soon as I have everything sorted out.”

“He won’t reject you, you know.”

“No, I don’t know that.” He shot back scathingly. “And neither do you. So stop trying to instill me with this false hope.”

He stomped to every class he had left that day.

—

Jeremy had been acting weird lately.

It wasn’t drastic. It was nearly impossible for anyone but Michael to notice. Jeremy was a very rigid, routine-following kinda guy.

And recently, there’d be this twinge of abnormality in his schedule. Almost not enough for Michael to doubt it.

He’d stay out later than normal- not abundantly- just by about half an hour. Enough to arouse suspicion.

He went out to the mall more, but when confronted about what he bought, he’d hide it in the back of his closet. Michael wasn’t desperate enough to snoop, though.

His nose was buried in his phone screen a lot more than normal, especially for someone who had no social media (or social life in general, but that wasn’t the point). His knees were always drawn close to his chest, cradling his phone screen away from any prying eyes protectively.

“Who are you texting?” Michael asked one night. It was supposed to be Jeremy and his night, but his boyfriend was more concerned with whatever was going down on his iMessage.

Jeremy lifted his head distractedly, eyebrows still drawn in seriousness. “What?”

“Who is it?”

“Uh.” Jeremy’s eyelashes batted as he thought about it. “Christine?”

“Why’d you hesitate?” Michael was starting to get pissed. Why was Jeremy lying? Was he cheating on him? Is that what this scheme was?

He visibly gulped. “Sweetheart, I swear. I-it was just Christine.”

“Don’t pull that ‘sweetheart’ bullshit on me, Jeremy!” He snapped. The lanky boy flinched.

“You stay out late and are constantly avoiding my questions.” He scooted closer to him on the sofa, slinging an arm around his boyfriend and lowering his voice. “C’mon, what’s up?”

Jeremy’s shrugged off his arm, pale eyes flitting to the ground. “I can’t tell you.”

“What do you mean, you  _can’t tell me?_ ” He shouted, standing up. “We promised to tell each other everything, Jeremy!”

He shoved himself off the couch, furious cerulean gaze eye level with Michael’s. “And I will! When I figure it out myself! Just drop it!”

The taller boy’s eyes darkened. “If you won’t tell me, then I’ll find out myself. Give me your phone, Jeremiah.”

For a moment, Michael thought he’d be the coward he thought he was and give in.

And then the paler boy’s cheeks were flooded with tears and he was stalking out the door.

The victory lasted but a second before Michael mentally replayed each droplet that fell down his love’s face.

God, he’d fucked up so bad.

—

“Jesus, Christine. I screwed up so bad.”

The two teens held hands from across the table, the peppy girl squeezing her friends’ encouragingly.

“I’m sure your mind is blowing it way out of proportion.” She reasoned.

“No, you really, really don’t understand.” A hand reached down to flatten a black pleated skirt against pasty thighs. It was a nervous tick. “I was yelling and he was yelling and it- it was just a mess. He probably doesn’t trust me because he thinks I’m keeping things from him!”

“I mean, you kind of are.”

Blue eyes gave her a sideways glance.

“What do you think’s going to happen? I promise he won’t-”

“You don’t know tha-”

“Hey.” Christine cut the sentence off sternly. “Yes, I do. I know how much that boy cares about you. You’re not going to lose him entirely over something like this.”

“But I’ll lose everything I’ve built up for- everything I love.”

Her coffee gaze hardened. “And that’s just a risk you’re going to have to take. Or would you rather keep living a lie?”

—

Jeremy didn’t show up for a week. No texts, no calls, no telegraphs or snail mail. Nothing.

It had been the worst, most tedious seven days since the Squip.

Then one day, he appeared completely uninvited at Michael’s doorstep.

Michael opened up without a care in the world, thinking it to be a UPS delivery or some stupid company asking for his money.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight of his _(ex??)_ boyfriend. All of his anger was suddenly put on hold because _ohmygod, Jeremiah William Heere is absolutely the most gorgeous angel ever to grace this earth._ He was wearing a short navy blue dress that was stark against his pale skin and pretty black flats and had barrettes holding his curls back. And _holy shit_ , was that makeup? And pastel pink nail polish? A pretty little gold arrow fastened around his neck completed the look.

Then Michael remembered why he was so upset. He wrapped fingers around Jeremy’s wrist, pulling him in the house and slamming the door behind them.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” He growled out lowly, accusationally.

The other rolled his eyes. “Yeah? So?”

“We said we'd never leave each other again.” Michael’s tone grew softer. “You _promised_ you wouldn’t leave me alone after everything that happened.”

“I’m sorry.” He breathed, not even daring to blink.

“Why can’t you just tell me what’s wrong, Jeremy?” Michael urged.

“That.” He admitted with his head so lowered Michael could barely see his face.

“What? The question? I can stop prying, really. I promise if I knew it bothered you so much, Jer-”

“Please stop calling me that.” The voice said, in a small tone.

And for a moment, everything was still.

“Wait, what?” Michael had never felt more confused. “You don’t want me to call you by your… your name?”

“It’s not my name. It’s my dead name.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“Oh!” Michael’s head snapped up in realization, bashing his friend in the mouth.

“Ow, fuck!”

“Sorry.” The Filipino commented absent-mindedly, wiping blood from the other’s lip with his thumb.

“So how do you feel about that confession, Micha?”

“Uh,” He stuttered. “Can I? Would it be rude to- May I ask what your name is, Miss?”

She gave the tiniest echo of a giggle, over-the-top curtsying. “Hadley Paris, at your service.”

Michael’s head was running a million miles a minute. “Who all knows?” He blurted before he could stop himself.

She scratched at her arms anxiously. “Uhm… all of our friends. You know, everyone except you.”

And then Michael looked so shattered that she wanted to take the words back from the air and swallow them whole. He set his gaze toward the sky, trying his hardest not to cry, even though his dark eyes were quickly-pooling with tears.

“Why?” He asked, voice almost giving out completely. “Why didn’t you trust me?”

“I _did_ trust you. More than you can ever know. I didn’t tell you because I love you too much. I know it’s selfish and I’m so sorry. I just… I wanted to hold on to what we had.” She lowered her voice to a warbling whisper. “...Even if only a little bit longer.”

Michael took Hadley's face in his hands, pulling it to his. His eyes swept over countless freckles, concerned and bewildered. “What do you mean?”

She stared blankly. It was obvious. It _should be_ obvious. “Micha, you… You’re _**gay**_. You’ve always _been_ gay. You can’t be with me anymore.”

Michael’s heart twisted because he could see how broken she looked. Jer- _Hadley_ had always been closed-off emotionally. And if he could actually see how upset she was…

Hadley felt her heart flit at the special smile that Michael gave her- the one that had always been only for her. He hugged her even closer to his chest. “Well then, I must be homoflexible because you’re a girl and I still love you just as much as I ever did.”

Her blue eyes spilled over with happy tears. She poured everything- all the relief and joy and overflowing _love_ \- into a kiss, leaning up and connecting their lips. Michael brought his hands to the small of her back, lifting her up and drawing her closer and closer. Hadley wrapped her legs around her best friend, knitting fingers into his hair, tasting the salt of her own tears on his lips.

She gasped for breath when they finally pulled away, lungs burning.

“I love you.” She cried into the crook of his neck.

Michael’s chest warmed and he pressed another kiss to her hair. “I love you too, Haddie. So damn much.”

“Nicknames already, Micha?” She teased.

He set her down lightly, burying his nose in her curls. “I can’t help it!” Michael complained, words muffled by her hair. “You’re too freaking adorable _not_ to have a nickname.”

Hadley pulled back to peer up at Michael, eyes soft with guilt. “I’m so sorry for ignoring you. I didn’t think about how- I didn’t know-” She broke off with a little whine. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s really not. I should’ve known-”

“Abandoning a past life and becoming a new- may I add, _very beautiful_ \- girl is a scary, scary thing. You couldn’t have known how I’d react.”

She tipped her head. “And how do you react?”

Michael shook his head, grinning. “Isn’t it obvious?” He tightened his arms around her waist. “I still love you- maybe even more because now you’re who you were supposed to be. I’m so, so proud of you, Pare.”

She wrinkled her nose, squinting up at Michael. “Pear? Like the fruit?”

“It’s short for Paris. Like, your middle name? No?”

“No.” Hadley confirmed, giggling.

“I thought it was cute, but I guess I’ll have to go back to the drawing board.” Michael proclaimed dramatically, holding the back of his hand to his forehead.

She stuck her tongue out, shoving him lightly. “Oh, shut up.”

“Make me.”

Hadley broke it off first. “We can’t just keep kissing like everything’s fine and normal, Michael. Wha-what are we? What do you want to be?”

His frown deepened. “Did you dump me..?”

“Well, no, but I figured…”

Michael kneeled, taking one manicured hand in his own. “Hadley Paris Heere, will you be my girlfriend?”

Laughter bubbled up in her chest. “Of course, you dork, just- just get up here and kiss me.”

“As you wish.” He said with a overly-flirtatious wink, swooping her into his arms.

“ _ **Michael!**_ ”

 

**Author's Note:**

> So... how many of you guys saw that coming? I wouldn’t but I’m a really frickin’ oblivious person so idk.
> 
> ((Also!! We need more Jeremy MTF fics, these give me life))


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